Type-writer attachment.



B. DUMMIT. TYPE WRITER ATTAGHMBNT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1910.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

Inventor.

Witnesses Attorneys BERT DUlVIlVIIT, OF PIERCE CITY, MISSOURI.

TYPE-WRITER ATTACHMENT.

T all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERT DUMMIT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pierce City, in the county of Lawrence and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Type-Writer Attachment, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to typewriter attachments.

The object of the invention is to provide means for disconnecting the platen of a typewriter from the ratchet wheel which is normally connected therewith so as to move the platen independently of the ratchet wheel. This ratchet wheel normally prevents rearward rotation of the platen and also causes it to move in a step by'step manner, always coming to rest at a certain point. By providing the means of the present invention, whereby the platen can be unclutched from the ratchet wheel, it will be obvious that the platen can be moved either rearward or forward without regard to the ratchet wheel and can be brought to rest at any desired point.

Further objects of the invention are generally to improve and simplify the construction of the platen and ratchet mechanism, and to provide means mounted adjacent the knob or handle of the platen for controlling the clutch mechanism between the platen and the ratchet.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification ;-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a typewriter platen equipped with the improvements of the pres ent invention. Fig. 2 is' a view similar to Fig. 1, partly in section, taken at a right angle to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation looking at the outer end of the platen attachment.

Like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawing.

The reference numeral 1 indicates the typewriter platen which is mounted on the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 2, 1910.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

Serial No. 564,654.

at rotate together, but when the pressure is removed from the ratchet member or disk at the platen can be rotated independently thereof.

The means for pressing the ratchet member 4 against the friction disk 3 preferably includes a pair of bell crank levers 55. Each of the bell crank levers is provided with an approximately semi-circular finger portion 6, the finger portions 6 of the two levers 5 being formed with overlapping ends 7 so that they can be pressed together for the purpose of disconnecting the platen from the ratchet disk. The semicircular handles 6 preferably are mounted in proximity to the knob or handle 8 of the platen, said knob or handle 8 in the present instance being mounted on arms 9 which converge toward each other and are secured to the end of the platen shaft by means of the screw or bolt 10. The bell crank levers 5 are fulcrumed at 11 upon the flanges 12 of a pair of semicircular members 13 which are fitted against opposite sides of the platen shaft and are held thereon by means such as the screw 14.

Bearing against the semi-circular or collar members 13 is an expansion spring 15 which bears at its opposite end against a disk 16 which is loosely mounted upon the platen shaft 2 and is provided with a collar or extension 17 on opposite sides of which are pivotally mounted a pair of presser members 18 which are V-shaped in form and are pivotally mounted at their points as indicated at 19. The presser members 18 bear against the ratchet member or disk 4. The spring 15, by its expansion, forces the disk 16 and presser members 18 toward the ratchet member 4 thus forcing said ratchet member against the disk 3 of the platen 1 and causing the two elements to rotate together. Tlieangle levers 5 are connected at 20 with links 21 which are connected at 22 with the disk 16. By pressing inward upon the semicircular portion 6 of the levers 5, said levers through the links 21 are caused to draw the disk 16 outward against the tension of the spring 15 thus moving the presser member 18 out of engagement with the ratchet member & and permitting the platen to be rotat-ed either forward or backward independ' ent of said ratchet member.

The typewriter attachment of the present invention is strong, simple, durable and inexpensive in construction as well as thoroughly efiicient and practical in operation.

hat is claimed is:

1. A typewriter platen having a handle, a ratchet member normally connected with the platen, and oppositely disposed radially compressible members mounted adjacent said handle for disconnecting said ratchet member from said platen.

2. A typewriter platen having a handle, a

ratchet member normally connected with the platen, substantially semi-circular handle members mounted adjacent the handle of the platen, and means operated by said approximately semi-circular handle members for disconnecting said platen and said ratchet member.

3. A typewriter platen having a friction disk at one end thereof, a ratchet member bearing normally against said friction disk, and oppositely disposed radially compressible members for releasing said ratchet member from its frictional engagement with said disk.

4. The combination of a platen, a platen shaft, a friction disk fixed against the end of the platen, a ratchet member loosely surrounding the platen shaft, a pair of semicircular collar members fixed against opposite sides of said shaft and having flanges i parallelism with each other, angle levers pivotally mounted between said flanges and having substantially semi-circular handles at'their outer ends, a platen handle mounted adjacent said lever handles, an expansion spring bearing against said collar member at its outer end. a disk loosely surrounding said platen shaft and engaging said spring at its inner end, a collar on said disk, a pair of V-shaped pressure members pivotally connected with said collar, and links connecting said last mentioned disk with the inner ends of said angle levers.

5. The combination of a platen, a ratche member normally in frictional engagement therewith, presser members bearing against saidratchet member, and radially compressible means for moving said presser members into and out of engagement with said ratchet member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BERT DUMMIT.

Witnesses CHAs. V. RIDPATH, A. J. FORSYTHE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

